Taking a step outside, I looked around at the front of the campus center. The Club Fair was in full swing, and so many clubs were present. Excitedly, I walked through the fair, talking to people I knew and joining clubs I would not have typically joined. What I noticed, however, was a lack of special interest clubs. Yes, they did exist, but the large majority of the clubs were either culture or major-based clubs; nothing that catered to niche hobbies. Putting it into perspective, I tried to think about why these kinds of clubs were lacking. Was it due to disinterest, or the fear of being perceived as ‘other’ for those hobbies?
When I think about where hobbies are headed, I think about the ‘You Need To Nerd Out’ trend that was popular on TikTok in August. The trend consisted of people sharing their interests, hobbies, and collections in an effort to connect with others and embrace their unique interests and individuality. In concept, this was a great trend that opened gateways for connection, and it started out as a way to celebrate interests that would conventionally be considered weird. These images included a wide variety of supposedly nerdy interests: Lululemon, Snapchat, Starbucks, Gmail, Love Island, and Stanley Cups, to name a few. Admittedly, some of these ‘interests’ are not like the others. While some may raise an eyebrow or two, half of them rely on the individual in question shelling out a couple of dollars to participate. The general consensus was that the trend was being co-opted by people only pretending to be nerdy, and the shift from genuine nerdy interests to consumerist interests had become increasingly evident through this trend.
And looking at this trend can help us understand what is happening with hobbies. Consumerism is becoming a hobby for many, and being invested in actual hobbies has become obsolete. This is why we’re seeing an intense rise in collectibles, ranging from Labubus to Stanley cups. Consumerism has begun to demand more dedication from consumers, so much so that hobbies outside consumerist tendencies don’t get as much attention or are not seen as proper ‘nerdy’. Some might argue that spending money is their hobby, but I say there is a significant difference between spending money for your hobbies and your hobby being spending money.
In some ways, we are well on our way to becoming a standardized society, where the majority dictates what hobbies are deemed acceptable and what will not be tolerated. However, hobbies outside of the ‘acceptable scope’ will always exist. I think it’s just a matter of their importance to you. There will always be people who are disinterested or put off by something you’re interested in, but I think it’s better to revel in something that means a great deal to you rather than shy away from it because it’s considered ‘cringe.’
While I can’t say anything about the wider social world, the students here at Andrews do a fantastic job catering to everyone’s interests. It may not always come in the form of a club: sometimes it looks like a poster for a ceramics drop-in, other times it looks like a performative male contest, and occasionally, it comes in the form of a Rizz 101 residence credit. Even though it may seem like hobbies are converging to a single point, very real efforts are being made to preserve hobby diversity and create community and belonging through hobbies.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.